Congress likely to ditch Rahul's ambitious primaries experiment

The Congress party had never really welcomed party vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s grand experiment with primaries to let party workers choose candidates to 16 Lok Sabha seats. Among the naysayers was Beni Prasad Verma, who called it an auction. In several states, the process led to a rash of rebels jumping into the fray.

Now, with Assembly elections coming, it seems the party has jettisoned the experiment, at least for now. A report in The Hindustan Times says the party is “unlikely” to persist with the experiment. Needless to say, the candidates selected through the primaries did not make it to Lok Sabha, raising doubts on whether winnability of a candidate and the power he holds over local party workers coincide.

The system had been launched as Rahul’s big idea to make candidate selection more democratic. As per the guidelines laid down by the party, a candidate could contest the primaries if he is qualified to stand for a Lok Sabha election, is without a criminal record and is either an experienced Congress party member or a person of ‘standing in public service or social cause’. Those eligible to vote are present and former office bearers of the party’s national and state committees and its frontal organisations (such as Indian Youth Congress, National Students Union of India, Seva Dal, Mahila Congress) who are registered as voters in the concerned Lok Sabha. Also eligible to vote are past and present party MLAs, MPs, MLCs, corporators and members of the zilla parishad, block samitis and so on, provided they belong the Lok Sabha constituency in question.

According to the HT report, a senior party functionary said, “There is not much time left for assembly elections and conducting primaries needs good amount of time.”

Among those who won the primaries but lost the LS polls were high profile leaders including Kapil Sibal and Krishna Tirath.

In Maharashtra, one of the states going to polls later this year, primaries were held in Latur and Wardha. Both candidates lost. The same was the case with Delhi, which will also see polls soon in all likelihood.

Meanwhile, in a further loss of face for Rahul Gandhi, Congress workers in Allahabad have begun to demand that the party’s reins be handed over to Priyanka Gandhi.

A report in The Times of India said the latest banner has appeared in the heart of the city and appeals to Priyanka to join politics to counter new BJP president Amit Shah.

The report said leaders suspended for similar pro-Priyanka hoardings last year have put up a banner saying: Shah ko agar dena hai maat, Priyanka ko saunp do Congress ka haath" (If Amit Shah is to be defeated, hand over the leadership to Priyanka Gandhi). The banner bears a photo of Sonmia Gandhi and Priyanka. Rahul is missing.

As Lakshmi Chaudhry has written on Firstpost earlier, the myth that his sister is the more charismatic leader of the two has dogged Rahul for years and has cast him as the weaker sibling. His failures have perpetrated the myth of Priyanka as Plan B, but it remains a myth nevertheless. Chaudhry wrote: “Now that the son has proved to be useless, maybe we can all get the Gandhi we really, really want. Never mind that Priyanka has proved to be as big a dud in UP.”

The party, or at least the Priyanka Gandhi sycophants in UP, appear to have not comprehended yet that the problem is not really with Rahul or Sonia, the problem is with the party simply lacking a cadre of leaders who can grow to take on bigger roles.